Review of Polyester (1981) by Oaks B — 11 Jan 2009

Goofy and poorly made but occasionally very funny, this lowbrow comedy about a mistreated housewife named Francis Fishpaw (Divine) who constantly suffers from mental breakdowns does offer its fair share of cheap laughs in its rampant stupidity.

Non-actress Edith Massey brings her own special brand of naive charm to the screen as Francis' retarded and wealthy best friend, but aside from Divine's melodramatic performance and Massey's fascinating bewilderment to be onscreen, the cast is sorely lacking in likeability, let alone much that resembles talent.

Despite its ugly aesthetic, threadbare plot, childish insertion of monumentally stupid fictional fetishes and reliance on cheap chariacature (all typical of John Waters), Polyester is a more palatable film than most by this director, as Divine is cast in a considerably more sympathetic role than usual as the pathetic, obese alcoholic Francine, who, typical of the director's immature temperament, is the butt of most of the jokes.